Larry King was interviewing Jesus … “So, Jesus, you say this nation should be governed by God. Who are you going to vote for today?” In reply Jesus told him a story …
Once upon a time in a land far, far away, there was a man who was running for election. And when election day came around that man sent out reminders to all those who had promised him their vote.
To one voter a messenger said, “Our bold leader thanks you for your generous campaign contributions and reminds you of his promise of big tax cuts, come now and cast your vote for him.” “O dear! I’m sorry,” said the first voter, “My dot com goes public today and I need to be on hand all day. Please make my excuses.”
To another voter a messenger said, “Our lovable leader thanks you for your significant monetary gifts and reminds you of his promise to keep gas prices down, come now and cast your vote for him.” “O dear! I’m sorry,” said the second voter, “I’ve just got this shiny new SUV and I need to put it through its paces. Please make my excuses.”
To a third voter a messenger said, “Our caring leader thanks you for your one-time donation and reminds you of his promise to protect traditional families, come now and cast your vote for him.” “O dear! I’m sorry,” said the third voter, “I’m just leaving for the Church to marry my new husband. Please make my excuses.”
Well, the messengers returned from all over that country to report their failure and the man running for election grew very angry and even more afraid. “I’ll show them,” he said. “Go, my messengers, to the other voters. Go to the sick, go to the unemployed, go to the poor. Tell them I’ve changed my policy. We’ll have universal health coverage. We’ll fix social security. We’ll boost the minimum wage.”
So they went, those messengers, and scoured the inner cities and toured the towns but when they returned they said to their boss, “Sir, we don’t think it will be enough.”
“Well go and find the fringe groups. Promise them all they want. Make them vote for me. Give them environmental protection. Give them same-sex marriages. Abolish that death penalty. Ban abortion!”
All this he did, and more, but still he lost the election.
…
“Is that it?” said Larry King.